On October 21 2000, Madonna’s Music single peaked at #3 on Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart in the USA.
Slant magazine review:
The title track, a retro hands-in-the-air club song reminiscent of Debbie Deb’s When I Hear Music and Madonna’s own Into The Groove, is the singer’s best dancefloor-beckoning track since Vogue. She sings “Music makes the people come together” like a track off of her debut album, and as an added bonus she uses words like “bourgeoisie” and “acid-rock” with equal abandon.
On September 9 2000, Madonna’s Music single debuted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart in the USA.
Billboard’s review of Music:
“Music is a stunning enterprise, a ballsy testament to Madonna’s insistence on being a style-setter and one of the industry’s most savvy-and now critically accountable-tunesmiths. Call this one dance, pop, even alternative…listeners will be shocked then mesmerized by this composition, showcasing yet another side of an artist, who after 20 years, continues to be a true industry artisan and the by-the-book definition of evolutionary.”
On July 2 2005, Madonna performed Like A Prayer, Ray Of Light and Music in front of an audience of over 200,000 during the Live 8 benefit concert at London’s Hyde Park. Part of a series of concerts, many of which were held simultaneously at various locations around the world, Live 8 was broadcast live on television and radio to an estimated global audience of two billion.
Madonna is one of only eight acts – and the only female artist – to have been a headlining performer at both 1985’s Live Aid and 2005’s Live 8. Other returning performers were U2, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting, The Who, George Michael, and organizer, Bob Geldof. It took a bit of arm twisting on Geldof’s part to win Madonna’s commitment the second time around, as Madonna explained to MTV’s John Norris in a backstage interview after her performance:
Bob Geldof sent me a letter asking ‘will you do Live 8?’ and he didn’t really tell me anything and I went ‘Oh common dude, you gotta do better than that! Prove to me that it’s gonna make a difference and I’ll be there for you.’ And he did!”
In what turned out to be one of the event’s most moving moments, Madonna was introduced to the stage by Geldof with Birhan Woldu – the starving African child featured in the CBC News report twenty years earlier who had prompted Geldof to organize Live Aid. When Geldof had asked Woldu which artist she would like to appear with on stage, she immediately selected Madonna for the simple reason that she was the only artist on the bill that she had ever heard of. In a later interview, Woldu recalled the experience:
The crowd seemed to stretch for miles, but I’d been telling myself not to be nervous. There was just a huge picture of me as a child on the screen. That photo still upsets me. It was taken 20 years ago, when both my mother and sister died. I knew I must be strong for them but when I walked on I could feel my body shaking. Then Madonna took my hand and looked into my eyes, the crowd roared and I realised the world wanted to help my continent. I felt myself grow stronger.”
Madonna’s memorable performance at Live 8 was largely praised by mainstream media and fans alike.
On April 28 2001, Madonna’s What It Feels Like For A Girl was the Hot Shot Debut (highest new entry) at #38 on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play chart. What It Feels Like For A Girl eventually became Madonna’s 25th #1 Dance hit in the USA.
Do you know what it feels like for a girl?
On November 25 2000, Madonna’s mimed performance of Music recorded for the BBC music series Top Of The Pops aired on RTL in Germany. It would later air on the BBC’s year-end retrospective edition of Top Of The Pops on December 25th.
Madonna was accompanied by long-time back-up singers/dancers Donna De Lory and Niki Harris during the performance.
On November 5 2000, Madonna performed a mini-concert to promote the Music album at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
During the show Madonna performed: Impressive Instant, Runaway Lover, Don’t Tell Me, What It Feels Like For A Girl and Music.
On September 23 2000, Madonna’s Music DVD single debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top Music Videos sales chart in the USA.
